Harry Fisher was the University of Wyoming track and field team's highlight during Thursday's opening action of the NCAA West Preliminary. The graduate student ran the third-fastest outdoor 800 meters in school history at 1:48.76 to qualify second for Friday's quarterfinal.

"Harry did a great job of staying relaxed and letting today's race come to him," UW head coach Bryan Berryhill said. "It was a fast pace to start, but he let the race come to him instead of forcing it. Tomorrow he really just needs to run like he did today. He took the approach of going out there and not putting pressure on himself. He needs to forget about the second-fastest qualifying time and just race like he did today."

Fisher ran near the front from the start of the two-lap race and crossed the line just six hundredths of a second behind UCLA's Nick Hartle for a personal-best time. Fisher, who entered the race ranked 22nd in the region, must now finish in the top twelve of Friday's quarterfinal to advance to Eugene.

Senior Taylor Gardner also managed to advance, as she ran 58.90 for the 18th-fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles. Likewise, a top-12 finish in Friday's quarterfinal will continue her season. Senior Jenna Mann leapt 18-5 3/4 in the long jump to place 39th after entering ranked 47th, while junior Holly Page did the same in the 10,000 meters in 35:54 to move from her seed of 48th to finish 34th. Sophomore Kereston Thomas was 48th in the 100 meters at 12.27.

Sophomore Tyler Anderson starts Wyoming's competitors tomorrow at 9 a.m. MT in the hammer. Freshman Jordan Charles will compete in the 110-meter hurdles at 4 p.m., followed by Mann in the 100-meter hurdles. Fisher's quarterfinal is at 6 p.m. and Gardner's is at 6:45 p.m., while senior Garrett Zans and redshirt freshman Audra DeStefano round out the day in the steeplechase at 7:50 and 8:30 p.m., respectively.